The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1887-01-07
The TRAIN WREcKERs.

other Knights Of Labor, wrecked O Missouri
Pacific train and killed two men April g.
VosSen's testimony Is an important factor
in the trial of Hamilton and is, in fact, about
the strongest evidence that will be pro-
duced. The court room was crowded to in-
convenience while Vossen was ON the stand
and the jurors listened to his confession
with attention and interest. Vossen is by
far the most honest looking of the six
wreckers and all attempts to confuse him
were futile Mrs. Benjamin Horton, the
wife of the fireman, was the first witness
called and she testified in feeling manner
how the disfigured body of her husband
hld been brought home for burial.
Colonel b. S. Mcdonald, OF st. Louis, con-
Quoted the examination for the State, and
Vossen testified as follows:
Il am married, and have lived at 107 Nc
braska avenue, Wyandotte, since last Sep
TENDER. Before that l lived at 1912 Bell
street. Kansas City; l am Il boiler maker
by trade, and formerly worked N the Mis-
souri, Pacific shops at Cypress Yards,
which is just little west Of the Kaw
river
"When did you leave the employ OF the
Missouri Pacitic:" asked Colonel Melon
aid.
the morning of March d, 1ssj.'
..Do you belong to an organization known
as the knights Of Labor.'
'sYes, sir. do"
'Whcn did you join the order!"
"About month before the strike COM
menced."
"Were you q member on the 18th OF
April."
II was"
"What lodge did you belong to-"
'District Assembly No. l0l.''
"Werc you an officer of the lodge?"
well. for q time was member Of tho
executive board, of which George Hamilton
(pointing out the prisoner) was chairman.
.'Do YOU know George Hamilton.'
81 do!'
Colonel Mcdonald asked Vossen to point
him out if he was in the court room, and the
witness leaned his head forward and after
surveying the faces in the inclOsure finally
saw Hamilton The latter had his eyes
fastened ON the floor, and when NoSsen
pointed his finger at him and said in q loud
voice, That's the man. Hamilton raised
his eyes to him and then looked away.
The witness then resumed and SAID:
early on the evening of April % went to
the second floor of the building at 1919 West
Sixth street, where our assembly held its
meetings. l saw there Hamilton. Lloyd,
| Leary, Geers. Newport. Warner. Feany and
Mcnamara. / went out, but came back
near eleven o'clock We had been in the
habit of holding meetings every Saturday
night, but would congregate there on other
! nights to see if any news about the strike
had been received. When l came back,
about eleven o'clock. man came into the
! hall with long gray hair and a SLOUGH hat.
! We did not know him at first, and thought
| it was some old fellow who had come up to
stay during the night. Pretty soon. how
ever, we found out it was George Hamilton,
and we all had q laugh over it and went
down stairs and got drink. Hamilton
| took off the wig and nearly all OF Us tried 1t
on, and had considerable fun with it. We
sat in the room and TALKED for some time,
several of the boys coming in an oat, be-
tween midnight and one o'clock in the
morning. think it was nearer one o'clock.
Hamilton got up and said it was
about time we were going. l said
"Where are you going. boys!' and Lloyd
replied: That's all right, you come along
didn't know where they were going. but
thought / would go along anyhow. About
one O clock Lloyd. Warner, Newport, Geers,
! down out of the hail and over the Sixth
| street bridge. Here we waited for fifteen
minutes for some of them who had stopped
behind. We had separated into two parties,
and pretty soon Hamilton came up, wearing
the gray wig. slouch hat and a rubber coat.
which he said he had borrowed. Wecrossed
the Sixth street bridge and at the end the
whole party came together except higgins
and Warner, vino had gone on in front OF us,
We went up along the bank of the kaw
| river to a point about 80 yards south Of the
street car bridge. Lloyd brought US to a
halt here and said: This is a good place RICH.
here, and We might as well begin 1t was
! at the curve where the track runs along
the bank of the river on the side, and there
is q steep bluff on the other. had noticed
that Newport, who had been walking in the
rear, was carrying something on his should
er, and when we stopped here he came up
with big clawbar. Lloyd began to pull
up spike. and told him not to tear up the
| track where the train would run into the
river and surely kill some people. Lloyd's
reply was: 'D-n you, i want to kill the
whole d-n crew of scabs.' Hamilton said
| to me that we had better go up toward the
| bridge. and we did so, Hamilton, Lloyd,
Newport and myself being in the party.
We went about seventy-five yards and
heard train coming in the distance, and
then several shots were fired from the
| bluff. We could see the fash, and from
that we could tell the shots were directed
at the freight. We had been hiding in the
brush and stuff along the bank and after
| hearing the shots, said that we had better
! 60 home, as they would give the whole
thing away. Hamilton said about the same
thing, but Lloyd said: We are going to
do this work if it takes until morning, and
if any Of you weaken you will get a bullet
through yOu.''
| Continuing the witness said: 81 did not
see Higgins and Warner after Lloyd and
| Newport went back and commenced pulling
| the spikes, and do not know what became
| of them. In little while we joined Lloyd
and Newport and went up to the street car
bridge and crossed over. / saw the spikes
pulled ard saw Newport slide the crOwbar
down into the river little ways of, north
| Of the curve. l went home and g day or
two afterward. while l was standing in
| front Of the hall on Sixth street, Hamilton
came up and cautioned me to be on the
lookout, as there were many Pinkerton men
around
! Ex-Governor johnson conducted the
| crOss-examination of the witness, but with
| all his characteristic shrewdness could not
entrap Vossen into making a single contra
| diction.
| Tried to Brighten Germany.
| VIENNA, Dec. 3l.-M. Clemcnceau, the
French statesman, who is in Vienna attend